Triple Trouble
by Kusari-Gama 61602
Summary: Sequel to "The Ninja and the Wolf." Snake-Eyes and Scarlett return to the Arashikage and Storm Shadow has to deal with the one thing worse than Timber: Timber's three grandpuppies. On the upside, Snake gets great news from Scarlett. Coauthored with Greentigerr.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Sorry I've been inactive for a bit. School kills plotbunnies. Special Thanks to Twitter for thinking up puppy names. In one of the comics (I forgot which), one of Timber's pups' name was Dojo, so I used Dojo.

* * *

Scarlett emerged from the cabin, slowly running her hand through her hair as she inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with the mountain's fresh, crisp, spring air. A little surprisingly, Snake-Eyes was nowhere to be seen; he was usually in the area whenever she woke up.

She shrugged a little and immediately smiled at the sight of a wobbly puff of fur heading in her direction. "Good morning, Remus," she bent down and scratched under the wolf puppy's chin. He opened his mouth slightly in contentment and let his pink tongue stick out.

A quick glance around confirmed that Remus was alone. "Where's Dojo? Huh?" She chuckled as the pup rolled onto its side. "Where's your daddy?"

The puppy's only answer was to look at her with adoring eyes, begging her to never stop petting him.

As if on cue, a gray figure bounded into the clearing before circling around to go back into the forest. A moment later, Snake materialized from the shadows, a deer slung across his shoulders and a tired wolf puppy tucked under an arm. Remus shook out his fur and bounded happily towards the approaching ninja.

Grinning, Scarlett straightened up and walked over. "How nice of you to let me sleep in." She pressed a kiss to his cheek before looking at the small form in his arm. "Timber followed you again?"

Snake-Eyes gently deposited the wolf into his wife's arms before signing, _[I don't mind too much. He's building up stamina.]_

"Aw, but he's pooped." Scarlett petted the sleepy form gently. Besides sharing the same name, Timber and his deceased grandfather had many similarities. They looked almost the same, and both would follow Snake just about anywhere. Unfortunately for little Timber, he was still quite young, and his legs could take him only so far before he got tired and needed to be carried.

_[He's loyal.] _Snake looked down when a tail whapped into his leg repeatedly. Remus yipped excitedly, staring up at his brother, and jumped up, scrabbling at Scarlett's leg. Immediately, Snake nudged him back down with a foot, ignoring Remus' yelp of surprise.

"Snake-Eyes!" Scarlett glared at him as she placed Timber down. "I know social hierarchy is important for wolves and all, but was that really necessary? He was just trying to get a better look."

_[He needs to know his place. Jumping up on the pack leaders is not allowed.] _

"He's a puppy!"

_[He's a wolf.]_

"Still a puppy."

_[Still a wolf. Will always be a wolf. Will not always be a puppy.] _

Scarlett sighed and sat down on the ground, lifting Timber onto her lap. Remus happily followed, whining as his brother stole the prime spot by flopping exhaustedly into her arms.

"You've gotten cuddles all morning, Remus," she paused to explain before lifting Timber and cooing into the soft fluff of his belly.

_[You complain that I smell bad after hunting,] _Snake pointed out good-naturedly, _[but you rub the wolf all over your nose?]_

"Grow a coat of soft fur and I'll consider immediate snuggles for you too." She didn't look up from the task of burying her cheek in the pup's fur.

He exhaled sharply in what could be interpreted as a 'hmph,' before signing, _[Where is-?] _He clucked his tongue and whistled twice.

Scarlett glared at him, but amusement shone through her eyes. "You mean Romulus? Really, Snake? He may be clicks and whistles to you, but to me he's Romulus. It wouldn't hurt for you to find some sign for his name."

_[Romulus and Remus are unnecessary names. Normal names would have sufficed.]_

"Normal names like 'Little Wolf' and 'Other Little Wolf?'" she couldn't help asking as she fought back the urge to laugh. "You've always had such a _gift _of giving unique and charming names."

He sighed even as he kissed her through his mask. He shifted the deer on his shoulders, and turned to leave.

"Oh, Snake. I'll have breakfast on when you're done. Pancakes sound good?"

He raised his hand to answer with the nodding of a closed fist, not turning around as he went off to dress the deer. Dojo followed his master, trotting at a respectful distance behind. Romulus, who appeared around the corner of the cabin, made a valiant attempt to nip at Snake's heels, but was foiled by the brisk walking pace of the ninja.

Setting both puppies down, Scarlett stood up and made her way to the kitchen. After a few seconds of fumbling, she fished out a batch of pancake mix and started preparing the batter. Timber and Remus whined plaintively as they watched her pour batter into a frying pan and stack finished pancakes on a plate. "Sorry, guys, but I can't feed you. Alpha's orders." She reached down and scratched behind Remus' ear.

There was the sound of furious scratching at the door which quickly turned into yelps and whines. Scarlett turned just in time to see the door to swing open, revealing Snake-Eyes holding Romulus by the scruff. "Let him go, Snake. He just smelled the food and got excited."

Snake shifted his gaze to the door and its newly-acquired scratch marks.

"Oh, for god's sake. It's just a few scratch marks."

The ninja removed his visor and kneeled, holding Romulus up by just behind his front legs. The wolf pup wobbled, his back paws shifting on the ground as he tried to get used to the new position. Unblinkingly, Snake stared at the wolf pup, who at first stared defiantly back before reluctantly looking away. Satisfied, Snake let go and walked over to the table.

Scarlett raised an eyebrow at the her husband as he removed his mask. "Protective of our cabin, aren't we, Mister Alpha?"

_[Yes. Cabin - not scratching post. I didn't build it in a day.]_ Snake added a little butter to his pancakes before reaching for the syrup. [_Did you finally use up that horrible corn syrup stuff?_]

"Yes, mister maple syrup snob. Good lord, Snake, is there any way you're _not_ a stereotypical mountain recluse? "

_[I'm a ninja,] _he signed simply, adding more syrup to his precarious stack of pancakes.

"You've got me there. But for a moment I was having flashbacks to that one morning in the mess-hall with Snow Job and... "

His open palm slapped the table as he bent his head, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

Below the table, three series of distraught yips protested the sudden noise, and made yet another plea for the dropping of scraps. Dojo remained in a corner, watching quietly with head held low.

"Hello, down there." Scarlett bent to look at the pups, which prompted them to redouble their efforts to persuade her that they were starving from lack of pancakes. She offered them a bare foot instead, and immediately broke out laughing at the ticklish sensation as they all harmlessly jumped at it.

_[You shouldn't encourage them to attack you.]_ Snake frowned.

"It doesn't hurt!"

_[Now it doesn't. In a few months, it WILL hurt.] _

Even though she knew it looked childish, she stuck the tip of her tongue out at him. Snake responded by placing a kiss firmly on her mouth. "Snaaake..." she giggled. "I'm trying to be annoyed at you. Stop thwarting my efforts."

_[My apologies.] _He kissed her cheek, eliciting another laugh.

Scarlett pushed at him a little, trying to look serious and failing. "Liar. You're anything but sorry."

_[That one was an apology kiss. It does not count.]_

"Sure it doesn't, you sneaky ninja." She patted his cheek fondly and pulled away from him to clear the table. "What's next in our day?"

_[We will need more wood for the additional room.]_ Snake placed the syrup and butter back in their respective places.

Scarlett made a face. "Chopping down trees. Fun." Good-naturedly, she followed Snake out the cabin.

* * *

The sun was hanging a little ways above the distant mountains when Snake decided to call it a day. Scarlett paused to stretch and wipe the sweat from her forehead. "Good god, this is a lot of work." She kicked lightly at a log. "And this is just for one room. It still amazes me to think that you built the entire cabin yourself."

_[Remember that the cabin was originally only one room. I built the bathroom and kitchen whenever I was forced to go on leave.]_ Snake rolled the last log into the pile against the cabin.

"So you used leave to go do manual labor." Scarlett picked up Remus, who had been looking up at her pleadingly. "Sounds fun. No wonder you hated it."

_[I had nothing else to do.]_ Snake glanced at the sun's position before signing. _[Bathtime for the pups?]_

Scarlett tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Why not. Might as well get it in before it gets dark enough to lose them."

Snake grinned and ran off. Romulus yelped, Timber followed, and Remus squirmed out of her arms.

Three small, gray rockets charged along the rocky path to the lake at Snake's heels, pursued by one larger, faster wolf and one breathless human.

At the water's edge, Snake Eyes dove in a graceful curve, clearing the shallow water and entering the water with barely a splash. Three of the four wolves skidded to a stop. Timber kept right on going, leaving a small wake and a large spray of water behind him as he tumbled into deeper water and began a furious doggy-paddle. Dojo circled back and settled down comfortably outside the splash zone to watch the other two pups prancing uncertainly at the shore. Romulus hazarded a nip at the lapping ripples, and immediately spat out the mouthful of water and sand he received. Remus pawed tentatively into the lake, then dashed to take cover behind Scarlett's legs.

"Scaredy-pup. You've been in the lake before. She picked up the slightly quivering ball of fur and began wading in after her husband, doing her best not to cry out from the cold. The lake was still freezing from the recent winter.

Romulus attempted his attack again, adding a paw swipe. He came up with a soaked face along with another mouthful of water, and reproached the shoreline with what might have been a threatening growl, had it not emerged from a throat as young as his.

_[Let him tire himself out,] _Snake recommended, popping up from the murky bottom only a few feet from Scarlett. She yelped and splashed him. He held Timber forward, threatening her with the formidable splash-fight weapon that was his rapidly and uselessly treading paws and a wet-puppy look. She lifted Remus out of the water in comparison. He licked her hands thankfully, though his paws continued paddling the air. With a gentle push, Snake sent Timber floating toward Scarlett as he turned to whistle to Dojo. The older wolf lifted himself reluctantly and trotted into the water, barely hesitating at the edge of the frigid water. After a cluck-two whistles attempt to summon Romulus, the contrary pup was snatched from the bank and placed, whining and flailing, into the water.

"How do you expect me to wash one while I hold the other?" Scarlett was running her fingers through Timber's fur in the clear water as Remus desperately tried to climb onto her shoulder. Romulus quickly adjusted to the water and set a course for her as well, sending droplets flying for several feet in all directions.

Snake ran his hand from Dojo's tail to his neck, purposely disturbing the fur as he carefully looked for fleas or anything that could be annoying his wolf. Actually washing the wolves would be useless, as they would just get dirty again in a few seconds, so he and Scarlett simply used the water to check on the wolves' fur every now and then to make sure nothing was attached to them. In a way, it was all futile work, but at least it would reduce the number of bugs the animals brought into the cabin.

After he deemed Dojo clean, Snake released him and grabbed Romulus by the scruff, grinning slightly at Scarlett's shriek as Dojo shook himself dry near her. Romulus growled in indignation, which earned him a nip on the muzzle by Snake's fingers. The pup settled enough to grudgingly let Snake shift through his fur, although another high-pitched growl prompted a brief, firm shake by the scruff.

Scarlett watched the scene before her, a little amused at the power struggle going on. In her arms, Remus was whimpering quietly as if traumatized by the bathing experience even though he had done it many times before. She planted a reassuring kiss on his little head and set him on the banks to dry off.

Eventually, Romulus was also dry, and the three pups ran off to go play in the clearing.

* * *

Scarlett struck a match and carefully lit the twigs and leaves in the fire pit. Behind her, three more-or-less clean puppies were curled up on a large, smooth rock, lulled by the warmth of the late afternoon sun and fast asleep. Dojo wasn't in the area, having wandered off to re-mark territory or hunt, so the pups had decided to steal their sire's favorite sunning spot.

A little absentmindedly, she poked at the young fire, watching as it sputtered and slowly spread to the main logs. Perhaps they weren't ready. Perhaps they still needed some time. But they had had an entire year and a half to get settled, and there wasn't too much time left for her until they might require outside help. She and Snake had talked it over before, and they had both agreed on the subject, although he'd needed convincing that bad luck was not genetic.

From the gray pile of puppies, Remus' hind leg twitched, and Timber stirred. Scarlett smiled at the sight. Although puppies were good practice for Snake, the ninja would have to find some other way to assert that he was in charge than just by staring and shaking scruffs. Not that staring wasn't effective - she had seen Vipers wet their pants in fear when he looked at them - it just wasn't going to work if the person wasn't scared of him.

She mentally shrugged. It wasn't as if he was going to pass out if - _when_ - she told him, but she was a little more concerned about his reaction than she would care to admit. Who wouldn't be?

_No better time than the present_, she supposed as she felt his muscled, warm arms wrap around her from behind. Snake must have seen the doubt in her eyes. "It's alright, Snake." Scarlett hugged his arms. "I'm just thinking."

_[Thinking of what?] _he signed in front of her.

"You'll find out soon." She turned her head and kissed his masked cheek. "When you're sitting down and unmasked."

Without sparing a moment, Snake sat down on a nearby log, his mask and visor in his hands. His eyes rested on her calmly but there was a slight edge in his posture. Ninjas didn't like surprises.

Scarlett took a deep breath. A part of her wished she had more time to gather her thoughts, but the rest of her argued that she'd already had an entire week to do just that. She took his hands in hers, rubbing his fingers more for her own comfort than anything. Might as well get it out. Snake wasn't going to leave her alone until she did. The man was tensing up more with every passing second.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered.

* * *

Next chapter: Snake and Scarlett make plans to visit the Arashikage.


	2. Chapter 2

Silence. The birds overhead chirped happily, blissfully unaware of the increasingly-awkward lack of noise below them. The wolf puppies, suddenly aware that their Alphas were a little too quiet, ceased their rough-and-tumble play and stared in the humans' direction. Even the cracklings of the nearby fire seemed to diminish.

Scarlett met her husband's icy blue gaze evenly, although her heart threatened to jump out of her chest. A hard lump was forming in her throat, and she suddenly felt like crying. That was probably the hormones; she didn't cry easily. The rush of anxiety was less urprising but just as distressing. Why wasn't he signing? No, scratch that - why wasn't he reacting? What if he didn't want to be a father?

Her heart hammered in panic, and she forced herself to swallow. "Listen, Snake," she said, her voice a little hoarse. "It's alright if you don't think that you're ready. We don't have to have a child now if you don't wan-"

She never got to finish her sentence. Snake-Eyes leapt to his feet, threw his arms around her, and lifted her clear off her feet. Scarlett's shriek of surprise ended in a wheeze as the air was hugged out of her. He spun around with her in his arms, going faster and faster, his blue eyes wide with joy.

"Ss... nake..." Scarlett gasped. "Air..."

The spinning stopped, and she was set down as carefully as can be. He patted her shoulder gently, as if stabilizing a delicate vase, then moved his fingertips to her stomach. She inhaled deeply, took one look at the worried expression on the ninja's face, and burst into laughter. "Oh, Snake!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and peppered his scarred face with kisses.

Snake's hands were flying, but they were too shaky to form recognizable signs and only made her laugh harder at his excitement. "Snake, calm down!" She kissed his cheek. "I can't tell what you're trying to say!"

Soft whistles and whispers emerged from his open mouth, all that was left of his voice. Scarlett almost teared up at his attempt to speak. If he still had his voice, he would be screaming and shouting, no doubt, however uncharacteristic that would be. He was so excited he was practically running _circles _around her, all the while trying to sign and only managing a few words thrown here and there.

Then, unexpectedly, he sprinted off towards the lake, leaping high into the air every few steps. The wolf puppies, sensing that something momentous has happened, tore off after him. Scarlett laughed as she followed. "SNAKE! What are you doing?"

Snake plunged into the lake with a large splash, effectively dousing the puppies and Scarlett's legs in water. Remus yelped, Romulus snapped at the water, and Timber jumped in after his master.

Scarlett watched, highly amused, as the normally-calm man splashed about in the water like an ecstatic seal. At one point, he popped back up to the surface and signed at her, only for her to chuckle and call out that she still couldn't understand him.

Timber followed the ninja faithfully, pink tongue hanging out of his mouth eagerly. Being a wolf, he had absolutely no idea what was going on, but he knew that his Alpha was happy. If Alpha was happy, then everyone was happy. And if everyone was happy, then it was playtime.

Scarlett was still giggling when Snake finally crawled out of the water, his adrenaline all used up but his eyes still shining with adoration. "You big puppy," she teased. "I wish I'd known you would do that, so I could've brought a video camera."

_[Baby?] _he signed, prompting another bout of laughter from her as he carefully touched her stomach.

"Yes. A baby." She rested her hand on top of his. "Yours and mine. We're going to be parents."

Snake-Eyes touched her cheek gently with his other hand, tilted his head, and pressed his lips against hers. Grinning, Scarlett wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

Nearby, a returning Dojo tilted his head at the noises in the clearing. He wasn't too sure what exactly Alpha and Alpha's mate were doing, but he knew from experience that Alpha would be unavailable until the noises stopped. He turned and trotted away, intent on finding the squirrel he'd heard nearby.

* * *

Scarlett stretched out lazily on the bed, relishing the feel of soft sheets against bare skin. The absence of Snake's warm body told her that she had most likely fallen asleep. Otherwise, she would have known that he had gotten up. Mumbling sleepily, she cracked open an eyelid and smiled. The entire cabin was bathed in a comforting orange glow; Snake had lit a fire in the fireplace to chase the coldness of night out.

Wrapping the blanket around herself, Scarlett slid out of bed to settle herself next to the ninja. "That was a nice little nap." She rested her head on his shoulder and ran a hand across his chest.

Snake Eyes remained quiet, shirt half-unbuttoned, gazing blankly into the fireplace.

"Snake?" Scarlett waved a hand in front of his face.

He turned back to face her. _[Are we ready to be parents?]_ His uneven face was creased with lines of worry.

Paws skittered against the door. Scarlett opened it and scooped up Timber, who'd been waiting patiently outside.

"We'll figure it out soon enough." She cradled the pup like a baby and began to rock him. His paws folded contentedly and he let out a wide yawn.

_[Is that why you've been babying the puppies?] _He couldn't help but smile at the grey puff of fur.

"I guess they are good practice." She gently booped Timber's nose, eliciting a wriggle. "With watching them and feeding them the first few weeks and all. A kid can't be too much harder to take care of than a wolf pack, right?"

_[Kids are more breakable,]_ Snake answered, the worry more apparent in his gaze. _[How will we keep one safe out here?] _

"We'll have to babyproof the cabin somehow. That will be a chore. And then we'll need a crib, and some higher shelves... And the cabin will be crowded with three." She sat down with a sigh. "I'm tired just thinking about it."

_[So that's why you told me you wanted an additional room added to the cabin.]_

She nodded and let Timber wriggle from her arms and run back outside to join his brothers. "I'm afraid I won't be able to help you as much."

_[You have a more important job.] _He slid into bed and pulled her under the covers with him, wrapping both arms around her waist.

"What about the wolves?" she murmured.

_[Wolves?]_

"What if they hurt the baby? "

_[Dojo will obey me.] _

"That's not enough. What about the puppies? Like you've said, they won't stay fluffy and harmless forever."

Snake-Eyes paused, listening to the Dojo's howls outside, accompanied by the higher-pitched howls of the puppies._ [They need to be socialized so they're used to more people.]_

Scarlett nodded. "I agree, but where would we find a group of people willing to interact with wild, untamed wolves for a month or two? I doubt the locals in the town below will be very enthusiastic. Plus, technically you're not supposed to own wolves."

_[Only in some countries.]_ He tapped his fingers together thoughtfully.

She raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to know what you're considering?"

Snake-Eyes suddenly grinned. _[I know - the Arashikage. The clan knows I have wolves, and there are enough members to properly socialize the pups.]_

"... I was actually going to suggest my family, but I guess a ninja clan is also a good option. The members have quick reflexes in case the puppies get bite-y." Her brow suddenly furrowed. "Wait, but doesn't Tommy hate wolves?"

_[... Maybe.]_

Scarlett groaned good-naturedly. "Then why would you bring wolves back to torture him?"

_[I'm his brother. It's my job to make his life miserable every now and then. Besides, I know he wants me to visit.]_

"I'm not taking any blame in the ninja feud this is gonna start."

Snake shrugged nonchalantly. _[If it happens, Tommy will lose; the clan liked stories about Timber, and I have a feeling they will like his grandpups.]_

"Alright. If you say so. It's about time I talked to Junko, anyways." Scarlett yawned. "Now on how we're going to get four wolves to Japan..."

_[Leave that to me. I'll make a quick call tomorrow.] _

* * *

"Phoenix Master, a call for you."

Tommy took the phone from the ninja's hands. "Who is it?"

"Not too sure. Nobody answered when I asked, and there is no caller ID."

"Huh." Very few people of his contacts were the sort of people who would leave their number undisguised, but there were still a few who didn't mind making his assistants' lives easier. He held the phone up but didn't press it to his ear. "Hello?"

_Dit dit dit dit. _Rapid morse code, spelling out, "Hello, brother."

Tommy stared at the phone in mild surprise. "Snake-Eyes?" he hissed.

_Dah dit dah dah_. "Yes, Tommy."

The Arashikage master bit his lip thoughtfully. Anybody could impersonate Snake-Eyes over the phone - all they had to know was morse code. He needed to know for sure. "Alright, Snake - do you remember what happened on our first mission together?"

There was an audible sigh before the morse code resumed. _Dah dit dah dah. _"Yes. I was grazed by a bullet on the leg, and you cut off your sleeve to use as a bandage."

Storm ran a tired hand through his hair and exhaled. "Correct. Should've known it was you. Damn, Snake. Do you know how long it's been since you last contacted me?"

_Dit dit dit_. "Sorry. I've been busy."

"Yeah, sure." Storm smirked. "'Busy.' And am I correct to assume that Shana has been 'busy' as well?"

_Dit dit dit._ "Shuddap."

"So, what did you call for?" Tommy sat down on his bed. "I doubt you called because you missed me, although truth be told, I think the clan misses their Silent Master. What do you want? Money? Supplies? Someone dead?"

_Dit dah_. "Actually, would coming back be convenient now?"

A long pause, then the clan master burst into laughter. "Since when did you need permission to come home? Of course you can. Do you need transportation?"

_Dah dit dah dah_. "Yes, please."

"Alright, hold on a moment." Tommy got up and briskly walked out the room. "BILLY! Do we have any agents near Snake's location?"

"Uhhh..." There was the sound of slight fumbling. "Let's see... Kamakura, actually. His mission is supposed to finish tomorrow."

"I see. Send him a message. Congratulations, brother." Snake could hear the smile in the Phoenix Master's voice. "Looks like you're going to have a little reunion with your former apprentice. I'll tell him to pick you up in two day's time."

_Dah_. "Thank you. I'll tell Shana."

"See you in a few days, brother." Tommy smiled as he pressed the 'end call' button.

Billy looked curiously at his former sensei. "Well?"

Storm turned to face him. "Good news; tell the clan that the Silent Master is coming home."

* * *

**A/N:** An internet cookie to all those who can name the story where Snake got grazed by a bullet on the leg.


	3. Chapter 3

Kamakura leaned against the rented van, glancing at his watch every five minutes. It was not like the Silent Master to be late. Then again, he always had his reasons - good reasons, too.

He was considering going up the mountain when he caught sight of something gray through the trees. He straightened up, alert. "Master?"

Snake-Eyes materialized from the shadows, a large dog crate in each hand. Not far behind him, Scarlett appeared, two puffs of tired wolf puppy resting on suitcases as the third trotted at Snake's heels obediently.

Kamakura bowed deeply. "Silent Master. Red Mistress. It's an honor to escort you home."

Scarlett snickered. "Why are you being so formal? Is Tommy that tyrannical at the compound?"

The young ninja grinned, relaxing a little. "Nah, he has Mistress Junko to keep him in check. That doesn't prevent him from giving a disapproving glare to anyone eating sweets, though."

_[Sounds like Tommy - a pain in the ass unless his wife is nearby,]_ Snake signed after placing both crates on the ground.

"He says the same thing about you." Kamakura watched as another wolf - this one full-grown - emerged shyly from the trees and make a beeline for the safety of the crate. "Wolves?"

_[Yes.] _Snake latched the grate closed and placed the crate in the van. Scarlett gently coaxed the three puppies into the remaining crate. Timber went in with little resistance, Romulus stubbornly clawed at the ground until he was lifted and set inside, and Remus whined heartbreakingly whenever Scarlett let go of him.

"It's alright, sweetie," the redhead crooned as she stroked the pup's head one last time before carefully closing the crate door. Remus' cries were instantly muffled by Romulus flopping on him. "We ready to go, Snake?"

Snake-Eyes nodded as he got into the backseat next to her. Kamakura looked a little puzzled as to why the Silent Master wasn't sitting up front, but kept quiet. Snake didn't like being questioned. He slid into the driver's seat and started the van.

About an hour's drive, Snake leaned over to the front seats and pointed to an exit off the freeway. "A detour? Alright," Kamakura switched lanes.

"Where are we going?" Scarlett looked at Snake-Eyes.

_[To see an acquaintance.]_

* * *

John Lowe was having a good day. The weather was nice, his lunch was delicious, and a sick wolf under his care was recovering nicely. Humming to himself, he tucked a file folder away neatly and closed the cabinet.

A soft knock drew his attention to the door. A second later, a man entered, followed by a large wolf, a gorgeous woman, and-

John stood up immediately. "Wolf puppies?" he chirped, staring at the three small tumbling figures as they played with each other, almost oblivious to their surroundings.

A quiet giggle from the woman turned his attention back to his visitors. "Oh! Sorry, how rude of me."

"It's quite alright," Scarlett smiled. "Are you Mister Lowe? The wolf specialist?"

He straightened up a bit. "Yes, that would be me."

Scarlett nodded towards the man with a hat and sunglasses. "I believe this man helped you locate a lost wolf once? Remember? He had a wolf called Timber with him?"

Realization dawned on John's face. "Oh! Yes, I do! The helpful man and his fascinating wolf friend! Welcome back, my friend!" He grabbed Snake's hand and shook it vigorously. "How may I help you?"

"We were actually hoping that you could... help check on our wolves?" Scarlett picked up Remus, who had been pawing at her leg.

"'Our' wolves? Are you two..."

"Married? Yes." Happiness shone through her eyes. "And all of these wolves are ours."

"Oh, how wonderful!" John squatted, looking at the puppies. "And you let them run free?"

"Of course. Once wild, always wild." She beamed.

"Incredible," John breathed. "Humans and wolves, living side-by-side with absolute trust in one another. Just think of how much we could learn about them!" He held out his hand for the curious Timber to sniff. "Helloooo... May I touch him?"

"Yes, you may," Scarlett said as she wrapped an arm around Snake's.

With a slight grunt, John set Timber on the examination table. "My, you're a big boy." He slipped on a pair of gloves as the couple watched. The pup turned in a circle, ears pricked with curiosity.

"Well, he seems a bit... odd," Scarlett whispered into Snake's ear as she rested her head on his shoulder.

_[Odd, yes. Knowledgeable, yes. He's a former veterinarian. Now he looks after wolves. He's friendly enough, so I thought we should have him take a look at the wolves before going to Japan.]_

She tilted her head thoughtfully. "That makes sense." She grinned and nudged him playfully. "Did you really take a few hours out of your oh-so precious time to track down a wolf of his?"

_[It was a good investment. I help him, he helps me. He gets his wolf back, and I get someone I can go to if one of my wolves suddenly falls sick.]_

"I knew you didn't do it out of the goodness of your own heart," Scarlett teased.

"This one's all clear," Mister Lowe interrupted. "Have they gotten their shots yet?"

"No, they haven't." Scarlett glanced to Snake questioningly. He signed a few words. "Dojo hasn't either. We can repay you, I know it's pretty expensive."

"No need. I owe you, and besides, I'm not doing this for the profit. Anything I can do to help these little guys." He ran his fingers down Timber's back before going to fetch the needle from a drawer. "He seems okay with me. Do you think he'll hold still?"

Snake gave a thumbs-up. Timber stayed perfectly calm under the man's steady hand. When he was done, Mr. Lowe lowered him to the floor and the pup ran off after his brothers no worse for the wear.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that one's a dog. Where'd the others run off t-"

Romulus and Remus tumbled over his feet, yipping and snapping. He reached down, and the puppies darted off in opposite directions, Remus to Scarlett's legs and Romulus to a skidding halt beneath a metal rack in the corner. Snake caught a few containers that had been balanced precariously on the shelves and held the entire structure steady as Romulus wormed his way back out to pounce on Timber.

"I have the sneaking suspicion that the easy part's over," the veterinarian chuckled as Scarlett placed Remus on the examination table.

"He's just a little shy," she explained as Remus scrabbled at the slick surface, trying to escape the unfamiliar man. As soon as she released him, he made a dash for her arms again.

"Ah. I see." John cleared his throat. "Uh, would you mind holding him? It'll help keep him calm and still."

"Not at all." Scarlett kept at least one hand on Remus through the entire examination, petting him whenever he whimpered or shook a little.

"Poor little guy," John mumbled as he picked up a syringe. "He's so scared. Could you distract him?"

Scarlett bent at the knees so she was at Remus' line of sight. "Remus! Cutie! I'm over here, look at me!" Remus looked at her, ears perked. "You're a brave little wolf pup, aren't you? ... There. That's a good boy." She scratched behind his ears and crooned words of praise as John set the syringe down.

"And there was a third one, wasn't there? The one having fun with my shelves?"

"That's Romulus." Scarlett laughed nervously. "Romulus, come on. Where are you?"

The sound of tearing paper from beneath the examination table quickly answered her question. The pup tumbled out of a box, the end of a roll of paper clenched firmly in his mouth. Both John and Scarlett reached for the mischief-maker, but received only papercuts as he tore free.

Snake clicked his tongue and gave two short, sharp whistles. Romulus paused, ears twitching guiltily, before pouncing on the shreds beneath his paws. He was immediately and unceremoniously scooped up and placed on the examination table, where Snake easily pinned the wriggling pup on his back with one hand. Only when the wolf whimpered and tucked in his tail and snout did the man lift his hand.

"So that's how you command such obedience. You've established yourself as Alpha," Lowe observed. Snake simply nodded once. "But how do you keep control of the full-grown ones? It's never worked for me. They challenge as soon as they sense weakness."

"You should see him," Scarlett chuckled. "He wrestles with them."

_[I don't show weakness,]_ Snake added. _[I don't have weaknesses.]_

He earned a playful slap on the arm from his wife. "Sure you don't."

"A-ah, a little help here?" John interrupted awkwardly. "This little rascal's a bit stubborn." Romulus was gnawing determinedly at the man's wrist despite the firm hand at his neck.

"Hey!" Scarlett's hand immediately clamped down over the pup's snout, pulling his mouth open. "No. No biting. He's a friend."

Romulus whimpered pitifully and licked at her fingers until she released him.

"I just didn't want to hurt him," John explained.

"No, go ahead and push him around a bit until he stops nipping at you. Then I'll hold him for the shot."

"I thought I was supposed to be the expert," he chuckled, reaching for the pup again. When Romulus answered with a rather high-pitched but nonetheless determined growl, he was pushed down to the examination table firmly. His paws flailed wildly, pushing at the hand on his neck, but the growl eventually petered out. John rewarded him with a thorough belly rub and answered another playful nip with a hand over his snout as Scarlett had done. From there, he inspected his mouth, much to the pup's discomfort and squirming.

"Ah, there we go. If I were you I'd watch my back when he gets a little bigger. I can already see he's nothing but a ball of mischief. A healthy one, it seems. I'll try to be quick with the needle."

It took a minute of stroking for Scarlett to calm the excited wolf down enough to hold him relatively still. He still wriggled every few seconds, making small frustrated noises.

"All done," John announced after his third attempt to make the injection. As Scarlett released the pressure on the puppy's back slightly, he began trying to wriggle out from beneath her hand, his paws sliding in every direction on the smooth table. Before he could go diving off the edge, she set him gently on the ground, where he shot off toward his brothers like a gray, furry rocket.

"And is this one, 'Dojo?'" John watched the large wolf leap onto the table at a simple hand gesture by the mute man.

"Yes. He is the original Timber's son." Scarlett watched as Dojo breezed through the examination without so much as an ear flick. "He can be quite... relaxed."

"I can tell." John gave him his shots with zero resistance and petted his head. "Good boy." He looked at Scarlett almost pleadingly. "Do you two have an hour to spare? I would really like to ask you a few questions about these guys."

Scarlett gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, but we need to catch our flight." At the man's disappointed expression, she added, "However, we may have time when we return in a month or so. How does that sound?"

John smiled. "That would be excellent." He squatted and stroked Timber, who had wandered over to him. "Thank you for bringing the puppies."

"Thank you for helping us." Scarlett scooped up Remus as Snake whistled for the rest. "Bye! Have a nice day!" She waved as she walked out the door."

John sank into his chair. "Amazing," he breathed. "Calling wolves by distinctive whistles!" He pulled out a file labeled "Timber" and scribbled down a few notes.

* * *

Scarlett had fallen asleep on Snake's shoulder as soon as they returned to the van. Kamakura made a turn as gently as he could, but a slight bump in the road still woke her up. Groaning, she stretched out as much as she could. "Are we there yet?" She blinked blearily at her husband.

_[Yes.]_ Snake stroked her hair fondly as Kamakura helped unload their belongings.

Yawning, Scarlett stepped out of the van, and blinked. "... Wow. A private jet? All the way to Japan?"

"Yup. Just for us. Tommy called in a _big_ favor." Kamakura went up to the pilot and rolled up his right sleeve to reveal his tattoo. Snake-Eyes did the same. Eyes widening in recognition, the pilot bowed deeply. "Alright, we're cleared to board." The ninja picked up Dojo's crate with a slight grunt and carried it onto the plane.

Scarlett looked at the pilot curiously as she and Snake boarded the plane. "Wouldn't he be... worried about us bringing animals on the plane?" she asked Kamakura, who shook his head.

"As long as nothing on this plane is a threat to him, the pilot won't mind."

Snake-Eyes set one of the crates down gently as Scarlett sank gratefully into one of the plush seats. "Ohhhh... this is nice," she murmured as she closed her eyes. "I owe Tommy one." She smiled at Snake, who took the seat next to hers.

"Seatbelts," Kamakura said as he made his way to his seat. "We'll be airborne soon. I'll contact Phoenix Master and tell him we're getting ready for take-off."


	4. Chapter 4

Scarlett flopped across one of the beds in the hotel room, sighing deeply. "Bed... nice bed. Soft," she mumbled into the sheets.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, turning her around. She blinked up at Snake-Eyes, then groaned. "Snake, the baby will be fine. Laying on my stomach isn't going to hurt it."

_[You can never be too careful,] _he signed, but patted her gently on the shoulder. _[I trust your judgement.] _

"Good to know," she hummed, then yelped when something wet brushed against her leg. "What was that?" she demanded as she propped herself up on her elbows.

Dojo panted happily, and gave her leg another lick. Chuckling, Scarlett drew her leg back and sat up. "Can you tell I'm pregnant?" she asked the wolf as she scratched under his chin.

_[He probably can. Maybe your scent changed.]_

"Maybe." Scarlett looked thoughtful. "Any word from Tommy yet, Kamakura?"

"Uhhh... yeah. Hey! Get off of me!" Kamakura shook his leg, which only made Romulus grip his pants harder. A soft growl escaped from the pup.

The small wolf was instantly airborne. A little startled at the sudden lack of ground under his paws, Romulus was stunned into silence for a few seconds - enough for Snake to turn him around and glare at him disapprovingly. Realizing that he might have displeased his Alpha and not wanting the consequences of doing so, Romulus whimpered and licked his face appeasingly, his little pink tongue darting out again and again.

Behind him, Snake could hear Scarlett laughing. "Kiss-up. Literally," she gasped, grinning. "Wow. He _just _learned not to mess with you anymore. That took a while to get to him."

_[He's not the brightest wolf,]_ Snake signed after setting him down. _[But at least he learned.] _He turned to Kamakura. _[Message?]_

"Tommy just said to have a safe journey. Oh, and that he'll skin me if anything happens to either of you." Kamakura kicked off his shoes and crawled onto the unoccupied bed. A heartbeat later, Timber, Remus, and Romulus were also on the bed, sniffing away at the ninja. "Argh. Puppies," he grumbled as he grabbed the edge of his pillow and pulled it over his head.

_[Since Shana and I are sharing a bed, you get to sleep with wolves,] _Snake signed against his back.

His former apprentice was quiet for a moment as he deciphered the touches before groaning. "Wolves... fun. You know, most people don't let dogs on the furniture."

The slap on his back - while it didn't hurt - wasn't entirely gentle and took no time to understand.

"Yes, Silent Master. I'll give them some room. Ow!" He turned around to glare at Romulus and give his scruff a rough shake. "Bad wolf! No biting!"

Snake laughed silently as he disappeared into the bathroom to wash up for the night. Scarlett soon followed, leaving Kamakura all alone with the three wolf puppies.

Huffing slightly, he studied each of them carefully. One was curled up, probably asleep. The other was covering his hand in wolf kisses, and the remaining one was attacking the spare pillow. Half-heartedly, he made an attempt to save the pillow, but stopped when Romulus lunged for his hand instead. "You know, I don't like you very much," Kamakura frowned at the pup. "A day with Beach Head would do you some good."

Immediately, Scarlett stuck her head out from the bathroom. "Romulus? With Beach Head?" She looked indignant. "Not a chance in hell - not while I still live. He will have to go through _me _to get to my precious wolf pups." Her eyes darted back into the bathroom and she scowled. "Snake-Eyes, stop laughing."

"I was just joking, ma'am." Kamakura sat up, brushing Romulus to the side. "Besides, I think you should be more concerned with Tommy."

Snake stuck his hand out the bathroom. _[Tommy has experience with the original Timber. Whether he chooses to use that gathered knowledge or not is beyond my control.]_

"I knew we should have warned him about the wolves before coming." Scarlett bit her bottom lip.

_[Nah, it'll be funny. I haven't gotten back at him yet for taking the last tea bag.] _

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "That was a year ago. And the next day, there were more tea bags. It wasn't like we had a tea crisis."

_[It was the LAST one! And you sure are one to talk - you can't go one day without coffee.]_

"Mm, only if I have to get up early." She patted his cheek fondly. "I've said this once and I'll say it again: I'm not going to be responsible for any vendettas if things go downhill. Understood?"

_[Understood. However, I have a good reason for bringing the wolves. Tommy can't maim me for being logical.] _

"And don't forget they both trust each other," Kamakura added, shutting his eyes tightly as Timber decided to lick his face. "Tommy knows that Snake won't do anything to endanger th-" A short yelp. "That's my _ear! _I prefer my ears dry, thank you very much, puppy." He gently pushed Timber away.

"Puppy's name is Timber," Scarlett provided helpfully as she slipped into her pajamas and walked to the unoccupied bed. With a murmur of contentment, she wriggled under the covers and brought the blankets up to her chin. "Warm..."

Snake joined her shortly, wearing a simple black mask and visor. Scarlett mumbled in protest to the rush of cold air when the blankets were lifted but wasted no time attaching herself to his warm body once he settled next to her.

Dojo went over to the bed and rested his head on Snake's chest, perhaps confused as to why he wasn't being led outside, where he usually slept. After scratching the wolf behind the ears fondly, Snake pointed to a corner of the room. Obediently, Dojo went over and looked back at him. A fingers-spread, "Down," sign made the wolf lay down, and the lights turned off, confirming that he was to sleep there.

Kamakura resisted groaning as the pups situated themselves around him. Now there was a pup at his hand, stomach, and on top of his head. It would be quite comfortable if the one on his head would just _stop_ licking him. He grimaced when a warm, wet tongue flicked at his ear and turned his head further to discourage the licker.

He was in for a long night.

* * *

Billy stretched out comfortably on the roof of the main building, feeling relaxed and peaceful. The air was still early-spring chilly, but it was afternoon and the tiles of the roof were luxuriously warm from the sun. He closed his eyes but didn't fall asleep, relishing the precious warmth. In all honesty, he knew he probably looked stupid, lounging about on the rooftop instead of meditating or helping Tommy, but he didn't care. He had a bit of free time and he wasn't afraid to spend it somewhere warm.

A movement outside the compound caught his eye, and he lifted his head. From that distance, all he could tell was that there were three humans and some... moving blobs of gray. Sitting up, he pressed a hand against his brow to shield against the sun and squinted harder. The clan was expecting three humans, yes, but not four...

"... Ooh, boy," he chuckled as he slipped off the roof and eeled down a pillar. "Our guests are arriving," he told a passing ninja. "Tell the guards at the front gate to let them in."

With a quick nod, the ninja took off at a sprint as Billy made his way to the main building. "Tommy?" he called out, knowing the man would hear, "I have good news and bad news."

In an instant, the Phoenix Master appeared in front of him, his hair ruffled and sticking out in several directions. "What is it?" he demanded, running a hand through his hair to calm it down.

Billy blinked. "Were you just sleeping?"

"Yes. Answer my question."

"Okay," he cleared his throat. "Well, the good news is that Kamakura, Scarlett, and Snake have all arrived safely and in one piece."

Tommy visibly relaxed.

"The bad news, however, is that Snake saw fit to bring a few... companions." Billy fought back a smirk.

There was a slightly awkward moment of silence as Tommy processed the information he was given. At first, his face looked blank and tired - the result of being abruptly awoken - then his gaze slowly grew hard and his jaw clenched as he realized what the 'companions' must be. "... WHAT? Here?"

Billy didn't even have time to respond; Tommy was out the door and headed full-speed towards the front gate before he could open his mouth.


	5. Chapter 5

"Here he comes."

Scarlett couldn't hold back a snicker as she watched the two figures run towards them from the gates. "This is going to be good. Look at Billy - he's laughing."

"Or crying," Kamakura suggested.

"Nah, Billy doesn't cry." A pause. "Why did you bring that up? Did he?"

An elbow dug gently into her arm. _[Looks like your maternal instincts are already kicking in.] _

She returned the gesture not-so-gently. "Shut up. I'm just curious."

"Almost here," Kamakura announced. "... I should probably take my leave. I don't want to be around when he gets here."

"Aw, come on." Scarlett nudged him. "Don't you want to see Tommy throw a fit?"

"Believe me - I do. I really do, but I value my neck more." He patted the redhead on the shoulder. "See you in the compound." He melted into the shadows nearby and disappeared from view.

A scared whimper redirected Scarlett's attention to the ground. Remus whined up at her, begging to be picked up and comforted. After complying, Scarlett looked at the remaining wolves while she stroked the pup soothingly. Timber was behind Snake, staring straight at Storm and Billy, and Romulus was a little ways away, but alert nonetheless. Dojo looked extremely uneasy and constantly glanced up at his Alpha, confused as to why he wasn't reacting to what was obviously a challenge from a rival male.

A snap of the fingers and a point to Scarlett sent the three wolves reluctantly peeling themselves away from the ninja and reestablishing their positions around their Alpha female. Snake moved a foot back and visibly relaxed, facing the approaching man.

"SNAKE-EYES!" Tommy growled, before tackling his sword brother head-on.

Snake was prepared. In the milliseconds of air they got, he twisted around hard, forcing Tommy to take the brunt of the fall. The Phoenix Master exhaled harshly and rolled, still gripping the other man as they tumbled down a slight slope.

Scarlett watched the struggling men with amusement. "They're like you two, except human," she said to Romulus and Remus. Romulus blinked at her and resumed digging into the ground while Remus licked her hand.

"Glad to see you arrive safely." Billy jogged over to the redhead, barely glancing at the wrestling match behind her. "I hope your trip was pleasant?"

"Very," Scarlett grinned. "I enjoyed flying in a private jet." She looked at the man, her smile softening. "How are you, Billy? You look tired."

"Me? I'm fine. It's just... the compound has been kind of busy. You know Tommy - he likes to have something to do."

"Even if it's torturing other people with work." She nodded in agreement before her sympathetic expression quickly turned into one of realization. "Oh!" She grabbed Billy by the arm. "How is Junko? I haven't talked to her in over a year. Is she adjusting well?"

The blank look Billy gave her was definitely not the answer she had been hoping for. Warning flags began going up in her mind before he cleared his throat. "Mistress Junko - yes, her. Well, she... uh..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "She's... okay, I guess. Mentally and physically. She doesn't have nightmares or flashbacks anymore, which is good, but a few days ago, she-"

"-HAD to bring _wolves_, didya?" Tommy's voice cut in, making the two turn around. The Asian man had managed to pin Snake-Eyes to the ground and was currently sitting on his back, legs folded under him as he smacked his brother's head with each word. "You couldn't bring goldfish or something? At least goldfish are quiet and don't shed all over the place. It just _had _to be wolves. Fucking WOLVES." He emphasized the last word with a particularly loud _smack_.

Snake jerked to the side; before he could react, Tommy was thrown off of him in a blur of motion. Within a few seconds, they had completely switched places, with Snake looking as smug as a masked man could be as all one-hundred eighty pounds of him sat neatly on his sword brother.

"You know, a _warning_ would have been nice," Storm Shadow growled.

_[A warning? Tommy, are you getting old? You shouldn't expect a-] _

"I'm talking about the wolves, you _goddamn smartass._ Who the hell gave you permission to bring wolves to the clan?"

Snake leaned a bit to the side and signed at him. _[Me. You're not the only Arashikage master.] _

"... I hate you. So much right now."

His response came in the form of a thorough hair ruffle followed by several light pats.

"Get OFF of me," he demanded before blowing at a tuft of hair.

_[I think not.] _Snake whistled. Three sets of ears perked up and Tommy gave a low, exasperated groan.

Scarlett squatted to release the furiously-wriggling Remus as Timber and Dojo trotted over, curious about their Alpha's catch. "You are _dead _to me, brother," Tommy hissed as he glared at the approaching wolves. Intrigued, Timber sniffed at the man's face, but quickly backed away when Tommy snarled.

_[That one is Timber.] _Snake held out a hand to the frazzled wolf, who eagerly accepted the protection of his Alpha and placed a paw on his leg.

"Timber, huh?" Tommy watched as another wolf pup - this one slightly darker than the others - ran towards him, piqued by the amount of attention in that area. "Who is that?"

_[Romulus. He's not as obedient as the others.] _

It was at that moment Romulus made the _very _unwise choice to open his mouth...

...and bite down on one of Tommy's ears.

Wolf pups aren't so different from puppies when it comes to biting. Anything that can fit in their mouth usually ends up precisely there, and the stubborn, curious pup was no different. Luckily for Storm Shadow, Romulus was still very young and the assault on his ear was more of an exploratory nibble.

Unfortunately for Romulus, Tommy did not appreciate being bitten.

Both Snake-Eyes and Timber were instantly thrown off, with Snake landing uncomfortably on his back. Dojo, confused and nervous, started snarling and yelping. A sharp cry of pain emerged from beneath the white-clad ninja master as Scarlett and Billy rushed over.

Romulus whimpered fearfully, paws pushing uselessly against Tommy in an effort to remove the hand wrapped firmly around his throat. "_Do. Not. Bite. Me._" He shook the pup a little with every word. "Next time you bite me, I'll literally _kick _you out of the compound."

"Tommy, please." Scarlett pried the man's fingers off. "He's just a puppy. He doesn't know better."

As soon as he was free, Romulus scrambled to his feet and ran off, tail tucked between his hind legs, to the safety of his brothers and sire.

"If he's _just_ a puppy and doesn't know how to behave around human beings, then why did you bring him here?" he snapped, scowling.

_[Because he needs to be taught to behave around a considerable number of people,] _Snake signed. _[I've decided that the Arashikage would be a good place to train the wolves.] _

The Phoenix Master's eyes narrowed. "Why would there be a lot of people at your cabin? Is Shana's family coming?"

Snake hesitated before signing carefully, _[I'll explain as soon as we get settled.] _

Tommy looked displeased but didn't ask more. "Alright. It'd better be good."

"Wait, you're actually going to let the wolves into the compound?" Scarlett looked mildly surprised. "Well, that was easy."

His hand flew up. "Not so fast. In exchange for letting wolves into _my _compound - yes, brother, it's my compound because I'm the one living in it and managing it while you hang out in the Sierras - I'm going to have to lay down a few rules. I can't think of all of them right now, but rule number is: wolves are not allowed into buildings unless they are clean."

Scarlett frowned. "That's going to mean constant bathing."

"That's your problem. Not mine. I'm not going to risk fleas simply because you two were too lazy to dunk a wolf in water."

_[That shouldn't be too hard. The wolves are mostly outside anyways. I don't let them sleep inside unless the weather is bad,] _Snake nodded once in agreement. _[Anything else?]_

A long sigh. "I'll get the other rules down on paper later. For now, just keep the wolves out of buildings." He turned around and started walking towards the compound. "Come. A few people will want to greet you after you've settled in your room."

A calling whistle brought every wolf (except for Romulus, as usual) to Snake's side. "Feisty little thing, aren't you?" Billy laughed as he tried to free his sleeve from the pup's jaws. "Let go, you little rascal." He gripped the wolf's muzzle firmly; Romulus detached himself but then lunged at Billy's other sleeve.

"Looks like Romulus found himself a new friend." Scarlett looked pleased. "Maybe bringing the wolves here wasn't such a bad idea."

_[All my ideas are good ones.] _

"Except for name ideas." She snickered when Snake shot her a mock-angry look. "Well, we're here now. When do we start training the pups?"

_[The day after tomorrow. The compound is at a slightly higher elevation than my cabin. I don't know how it'll affect the pups, so I'm giving them a day to adjust - just to be safe.] _

"Do I get a day off too?"

_[Yes. For obvious reasons.] _

"Sweet. More sleep for me." She grinned.

Snake's shoulders shook a little with his chuckle.

* * *

There was no fanfare when they entered the compound. In fact, the place looked... empty. It was very quiet, and the few ninjas they met all bowed deeply to them in greeting. Snake looked pleased and rather relieved at the little attention they were given, until Billy piped in, "Just wait until evening."

The room that was prepared for them was neat, orderly, and sparsely decorated - as one would expect in a ninja clan. Snake-Eyes scanned the room critically as Scarlett marveled at the small _bonsai _plant near the window. "Pretty little thing. One of these would look nice at the cabin." She touched the plant carefully.

Snake saw rather than hear the door slide open. "You can have that one, if you'd like." Tommy stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. "So, what did you two want to tell me?"

"Sit down first." Scarlett patted the bed. He complied slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. Trying to read her thoughts.

"Is this something that will make my day worse?" he asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

_[Depends,] _Snake signed. _[How does being an uncle sound to you?]_

There were a few facial expressions Thomas Arashikage didn't make very often - fear and surprise topping that list. The fact that he wore a mask half the time further limited his rare surprised expression to raised eyebrows and widened eyes.

The face he was making at that moment was nothing Scarlett had seen from him before. His eyes bulged, and his mouth opened and closed but no sound was coming out. If Scarlett didn't know that he was reacting to the news, she would have checked her head for sprouting horns.

"... _No. Way._" He finally spoke. "No, no, no. It can't... no, wait-" Tommy's voice dropped to a loud whisper. "Red, are you _pregnant?_"

"Yes," she replied, just as quietly. "Why are we whispering?"

Tommy made a noise similar to a whimper. "Really? You serious? It's Snake's?"

"Of course it's Snake's. Why would you think it's not?" Scarlett tried to look insulted but the corners of her mouth just wouldn't stop turning up.

"... MY **_GOD!_**" he bellowed, making Snake flinch. "OH MY GOD. OH MY- oh _hell _this had better not be a prank because if it is then I am going to-"

_[It's true. We're not _quite _cruel enough to prank you like that.]_ Snake appeared a little shaken by his brother's sudden outburst.

"OH, MY _GOD._" Tommy buried his face in his hands. His next words were too muffled to be coherent, followed by a sound that sounded suspiciously like a sob.

"Tommy!" Scarlett gasped. "Are you _crying?_"

"Of course not, dammit!" he snapped, lifting his head to glare. The eyes boring into hers were definitely dry. "... Oh... _hell,_" he choked. "Wha... when is the doomsday?"

Scarlett whacked the back of his head for the comment but smiled good-naturedly. "Fall - probably sometime in November. I need to check with Healer."

"Okay." He suddenly grinned. "When can I start training it?"

"TOMMY!" This time, the whack wasn't as gentle. "I am _not _placing my child at your mercy."

He started leaning away. "Why not? Look at Billy and Junko. They're both excellent fighters, and I trained both of them. _Please _don't make me submit a resume on this."

_[Of all the things you could have said, you decided to ask when you can start training my kid.]_ Snake shook his head disapprovingly.

"Shut up, brother. What else do you expect me to say? 'Congratulations - you figured out how to make a baby?' That's hardly an achievement." There was a pause. Snake could practically see gears turning in his sword brother's head. "... So _that's _why you need to train the wolves," he said thoughtfully. "It wouldn't do to have them nibbling on the child like they did to my ear."

"Congrats, Einstein. You figured it out." Scarlett clapped her hands despite the look Tommy gave her.

"Well... I suppose that's a good reason to bring the wolves here." He sighed, before glowering at Snake. "Still, it would have been nice if SOMEBODY told me beforehand."

_[But then you would've said no.] _

"Mm... true. But then you could have told me the news as a reason. Then I would have accepted."

_[Then we would have missed out on seeing your reaction.]_

Scarlett's laugh at Storm's frown promptly disappeared when the man's eyes whipped to the door and she saw him mouth a curse word. "Tommy?" she whispered. "What's wrong?"

He turned back to look at her, eyes filled with some emotion she couldn't decipher. Fear? Anxiety? "Don't tell her," he breathed. "Don't tell her. Sensitive topic. Don't tell-"

A light knock on the door, then a quiet female voice. "Shana? Are you in there? And Snake-Eyes?"

"Yes, it's us. Come in." Scarlett kept her eyes on Storm. His expression was unreadable, as if he was about to be interrogated.

The door slid open, and Junko stepped in, a joyous smile on her face. "Shana! I knew you must be here when I saw a few wolves in the courtyard. How are-" She visibly froze up when she saw the third occupant of the room. "... Tommy."

"Junko," he replied evenly, only briefly glancing at his wife.

Junko took a long breath, before quietly saying, "I... need to go clean my gear. I'll talk to you at dinner, Shana." She bowed to Snake-Eyes. "It is good to have you back with us, Silent Master. Excuse me." And with that, she closed the door silently, and her shadow moved away.

As soon as she was gone, Scarlett wasted no time grabbing Tommy by the front of his robe and pulling him close to her face. "Talk," she hissed. "What's going on here?"


	6. Chapter 6

Tommy met the redhead's glare evenly, his expression blank and unrevealing. Scarlett noted his relaxed shoulders and loose hands with a building irritation. "Tell me," she repeated. "What's going on here? Why can't I tell her?"

"That," he replied coolly, as if she were an ignorant trainee, as he pried her fingers off of him, "is none of your business, Shana."

Scarlett looked indignant. "That's what I said to you multiple times in the past and you _still _ended up butting your nose into Snake's and my business!"

"That's only when I saw something obviously wrong and decided that the drama that would ensue from your miscommunications wouldn't be entertaining enough to be worth the time." Storm still looked annoyingly impassive. "This matter, however, does not need your interference and I would appreciate if you stayed out of it." He stood up smoothly and walked over to Snake-Eyes. "It's good to have you back, brother." Firmly, he patted his shoulder. "Let me know if you need anything. Red, I'll tell Healer to expect you. Rest well, you two. See you at dinner." And with that, he silently slipped out the door.

"Bastard," Scarlett muttered after a few minutes. "Stupid, secretive bastard."

_[He thinks our arguments are entertaining?] _

"Really, Snake?" Scarlett turned to glare at him. "Is that _all_ you picked up?"

He stared back. _[What else was I supposed to pick up? He made it clear that whatever happened between him and Junko is none of our business, so we shouldn't make it our problem.]_

Scarlett chewed on her bottom lip in displeasure but thankfully didn't argue. "What do you think happened?" she asked.

_[Didn't I just point out this isn't our problem?] _

"Discussing it doesn't necessarily mean it's our burden to bear," she protested. "I'm just asking for your thoughts, that's all."

Snake-Eyes sighed audibly, perhaps in irritation, but his hands moved. _[I think someone asked Junko when the next Arashikage heir is coming into this world. Since Tommy is the last in the Arashikage bloodline, she probably feels pressured.] _

"That... that's dumb." Scarlett pinched the bridge of her nose. "Who the hell just goes up to a woman and says, 'Hey - when are you going to get pregnant? Since, you know, your husband is the last Arashikage?'"

Snake raised his hands defensively before signing, _[You asked what I thought and I told you. Now drop the subject. Don't stress too much.] _

"The baby is fine, if that is what you're wondering about." Idly, she went back to lightly touching the _bonsai_ plant.

Out of the corner of her eye, Scarlett saw Snake move. The bed she was sitting on dipped a little with his weight. A hand gently took hers and held it tenderly. _[Get some rest,] _Snake signed with his free hand. _[It won't look good on either of us if you fall asleep at dinner.] _

She hummed quietly in response. "Good point." Smiling, she slipped under the covers held open for her and snuggled into the bed. "Nice," she mumbled, as Snake settled himself beside her.

In seconds, she was asleep.

* * *

"Hello," Junko called out quietly, smiling at the four pair of gray ears directed towards her. "My, aren't you cute," she cooed at the three pups frozen in their play by her presence. "So, you're Snake's wolves, huh? All four of you. At this rate, he's going to have an army of wolves to terrorize the world with in a few years." Slowly, as to not startle the animals, she moved from behind the pillar and sat down on the stairs, about ten feet from them.

Dojo blinked at the intruder, confused as to what he was supposed to do. If they were back in their own territory, he wouldn't have hesitated to chase her away. But currently, they were in a new environment, filled with bizzare new smells and occupants. It was all very confusing, but Alpha appeared completely at ease, so he decided that he would try to be too.

He watched as the intruder extended a paw. Wait - not a paw. It looked like... the appendages Alpha and Alpha's female had. The kind that offered food and gave orders and nice behind-the-ears scratches. Dojo tilted his head. Was this creature identifying herself as the same as Alpha?

Snorting, he got up and trotted a little ways. The creature was of no interest to him. If she wasn't Alpha or Alpha's female, then he wanted nothing to do with her. Once he decided that he was far enough, he laid back down on the warm ground and resumed his supervision of the pups.

The pups, on the other hand, were a little more inquisitive. Romulus gave a quiet snarl, in case the creature was trying to take Alpha's place while he was away, but curiosity soon overcame wariness. He sniffed, then straightened up in alarm. The scent of the white male that attacked Alpha was all over her! Conflicted between wanting to growl at her more and remembering his encounter with the frightening white male, Romulus turned to Remus to take his stress out on the lower-ranking pup.

Remus had been completely frozen, eyes glued to the form on the stairs, when Romulus barreled into him. Yelping and whining, he rolled himself onto his back, belly exposed, in a plea for mercy as Romulus bit his muzzle.

Timber had followed his sire away from the unfamiliar creature and was currently watching his brothers play-fight. He didn't trust the person one bit; she looked similar to Alpha's female, but the scent on her indicated that she'd had contact with the white male recently. Everything here did. It had probably been his territory.

One of his ears twitched. He was glad Alpha won the challenge battle with the white male. It was proof that he was the most powerful - so therefore deserved his position as Alpha - and it put the white male in his place.

Alpha's kind were strange; even though the white male lost, Alpha didn't chase him out of his gained territory, nor did he claim the white one's female. It was very odd, but Alpha knew best. Shaking out his fur, Timber lay down next to Dojo, but kept alert.

Junko giggled quietly at the sight of two wolves edging away from her. She had heard about Snake-Eyes' wolf Timber, and had been disheartened to hear that he had died before she got the chance to see him. He was a very loyal wolf, she had been told, and had a way of keeping Snake on his toes.

She looked at each of the three wolves carefully. None of them appeared to be the loyal type, at least not yet. If they were anything like their grandsire, they would be willing to follow Snake anywhere once they grew older.

Junko's slight smile disappeared and her chest suddenly felt heavy. These four were Timber's legacy, his bloodline, his contribution to the world. The two were play-fighting again, so full of life and youthful energy. Involuntarily, she shuddered.

She almost jumped when something thick and warm descended on her shoulders and back. "Just thought you might be cold," Tommy's voice said as familiar hands tucked the blanket around her.

Junko forced herself to calm down. "Thank you." She gripped the blanket and pulled it tighter around herself.

Storm Shadow sat down next to her, his eyes on the wolves. "Observing our uninvited guests, aren't you?"

"A bit," Junko admitted, smiling slightly. "They're quite adorable."

"Yeah, well, they're adorable now. Wait a month or so and they won't be." Tommy chewed on his bottom lip before tentatively wrapping an arm around her.

She tucked her head under his chin, grateful for the physical comfort, "What are their names? Do you know?"

"Yeah. According to Billy, the full-grown one is Dojo, the one next to him is Timber reincarnated, the lightest-colored one is Remus, and the darkest-colored one is Romulus." He frowned. "That one tried to eat my ear."

"Oh... dear." Junko's eyes flew to Tommy's ears.

His chuckle sounded forced. "I was just joking. It was just a nibble, but it surprised me nonetheless."

"Ah." She tilted her head. "How did he get close enough to even bite you?"

There was a moment of awkward silence before Tommy spoke. "Snake... pinned me to the ground."

One eyebrow rose. "And why did he pin you? That doesn't sound like the Silent Master's way of greeting anybody."

Tommy had the look of a boy caught stealing the last cookie from the cookie jar. "Because I... tackled him."

The other eyebrow rose. "And why did you tackle him?"

"Because I saw the wolves and got irked that he didn't care to warn me beforehand."

Junko sighed and shook her head. "I will never understand why you and Silent Master enjoy torturing each other so much."

"It's called 'being brothers,' and I'm sure you've seen Kamakura and Billy do the same thing." He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I thought they simply disliked each other."

"Nah, it's all just for show. They can really get along if you put them on a mission together."

Junko mumbled incoherently in acknowledgement before falling silent. Her heart sank a little; this was how all their conversations had gone recently - slightly forced at the beginning, then slowly warming up until one of them broke it off. It was stupid, really. After practically having been to hell and back several times together, they shouldn't be so awkward around each other.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He was hiding something - she knew it. Probably something involving Snake and Scarlett. It hurt a bit to think that he was keeping something from her, but she was doing the exact same thing, so she couldn't exactly blame hi-

A high-pitched howl broke the uncomfortable silence. Timber, with his head thrown back and eyes closed, howled again. He had grown extremely fidgety with the white male so close by, and had finally given up and was calling for help from the only being he knew who could chase the unnerving creature away.

"Damned thing, you'll wake him up if you don't stop that racket!" Tommy stood up and walked towards the pup, who immediately stopped howling, scrambled out of reach, and resumed his call as soon as he was a good distance away from the man.

Junko exhaled quietly in relief then looked at a moving form on a rooftop. One of Healer's assistants waved at her from there, then signed in exaggerated gestures, _[Healer. See. You. Now.] _

She nodded in acknowledgement then watched as the form disappeared. Swallowing hard, she took one last look at the light-hearted scene of her husband chasing a wolf pup and slipped away silently.

Storm sighed in frustration as he watched Timber shoot off in Snake's direction. There was no point in chasing; four legs always beat two when it came to speed, and chasing could provoke an attack from the others. So much for some rest for his brother.

"There goes our peace and quiet for the next few weeks, huh, Jun-" He blinked. The blanket he had given her lay neatly folded on the steps. Spinning in a slow circle, eyes trying to seek her out, he cursed beneath his breath.


	7. Chapter 7

Timber sniffed constantly, trying to separate his Alpha's scent from the rest of the compound's smells. If they were back home, he wouldn't have had any trouble locating him, but the new surroundings were foreign and sometimes terrifying. Whining loudly, he started slowly in one direction. He knew leaving the pack was a bad idea, but he _really _didn't want to be around the white male a minute longer.

Some time passed, and Timber managed to track his Alpha's scent to this... strange barrier. It emitted a soft light, for one thing. Nothing glowed like that, except for the moon. His whining increased with his agitation. Where was Alpha?!

Inside the room, Snake was instantly awake. He was on his feet in a few seconds and walked towards the door that led outside. After opening the door a crack, he peeked out.

Timber's whimpers promptly turned into happy yelps. Alpha! He started jumping up and down, trying to reach his face. Alpha has appeared!

Snake stepped outside and slid the door closed behind him before sitting down on the ground. The elated wolf puppy wasted no time crawling into his lap and rolling onto his back, whining with joy. Smiling under his mask, Snake-Eyes stroked Timber's head with one hand and let him cover the other in puppy kisses. It was nice to know that he had been missed, even if by an animal.

"Sorry I couldn't stop him."

Snake lifted his head. Tommy was standing a few feet from him, his expression tired. _[It's alright. I was about to wake up anyways.] _

Timber stared at the intruder, whimpered, then attempted to bury himself in his Alpha's torso. With some difficulty, Snake managed to pull him away, and silenced his protesting whine with a hand around his muzzle.

"Come." Storm jerked his head towards the courtyard. "I think your other wolves are starting to get worried."

Smoothly, the Silent Master stood up with Timber in his arms. If he put him down, the pup might start crying again and wake up Shana. Snake added another bullet point to his mental list of each wolf's characteristics: Timber - has seperation anxiety, but shows promise in tracking.

The other wolves greeted him enthusiastically. Dojo covered his mask in licks when he bent over to set Timber down. Remus darted around his legs. Romulus, emboldened by his Alpha's presence, started growling at Storm Shadow but scrambled when he mockingly-growled back.

Snake sighed loudly. _[Tommy, if you ever want to gain their trust, you need to stop scaring them.] _

"And why would I care if I have their trust or not? They're your wolves - not mine." Tommy kicked a pebble towards Remus, who backed up so quickly he tripped over his own paws.

_[Would you honestly rather have them fear you rather than trust you? If something were to happen to me or Shana, you'd have to step up and take command.] _

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Great. Me, leading an entire ninja clan plus a pack of wolves. Just tell me what the signal for 'find Snake-Eyes' is and I should be all set."

_[Tommy.] _

"Alright, alright. I know what you're going to say: 'My wolves are important to me. You should treat them with more respect.'" He gave a tired sigh. "Sorry for my attitude, brother. It's been a very long day."

Snake sat down gracefully and patted the ground next to him. Eyebrows raised, Storm took a step back. "What are you planning? Why do you want me to sit next to you? Are you going to do that weird thing where you introduce me to the wolves by rubbing yourself on me then letting them sniff you?"

Snake narrowed his eyes, confident in his ability to communicate the expression straight through the mask. _[No, although I may consider that now that I know it makes you uncomfortable.] _

Storm took his place next to him. "Please don't. I was just checking." A pause. "So, what's the plan?"

_[Right now, they see you as an unwelcome challenger who lost to me in a fight. We need to change that.] _

Tommy stared at him in indignation. "I did _not _lose to you. I can beat you in a sparring match anyday!"

Snake's mask crinkled with his grin. _[Oh, really? Tomorrow evening, then. With bokken.] _

"You're on."

The wolves stared at them, intrigued by this unusual turn of events. The white male was with Alpha, and they weren't fighting. In fact, he was at the exact same height as Alpha, and Alpha wasn't pushing him down. Did that mean, then, that the white male was a... friend? And that the fight had actually been play?

Timber was the first to approach, his steps as tentative and unsure as the day he first stood on all four paws. Whining, he crawled into Snake's lap and stared at Storm from there.

"This one is Timber, isn't he?" Tommy said as he watched his brother stroke the pup fondly. "He seems to be your favorite."

_[He's very loyal, but that could pose a problem should I need to leave for more than a few hours.] _Snake lightly touched the wolf's ear, making it twitch. _[Alright. Slowly extend your hand.] _

"And put it in biting range? No, thank you."

Instead of responding, the black-clad ninja took ahold of Storm's wrist and slowly pulled it towards the pup. _[Eye contact,] _he signed, before lightly grabbing Timber's scruff. Even though the he was a very obedient wolf, Timber was still a wolf, and wolves could be unpredictable. Tommy had already reacted badly to a harmless bite from Romulus; Snake didn't want to worsen his impression with Timber also deciding that he wanted to sink his baby teeth into flesh.

Wary of his Alpha's hold on his scruff, all Timber dared to do when the white male's hand edged closer was sniff it. The male's direct gaze and dominant stature meant one thing - he was higher-ranked. Letting out a short, defeated whimper, he opened his mouth slightly to lick the male's hand.

When he felt the warm, wet tongue press against his hand, Tommy made a face. "Alright, this one knows me. Can we move on?"

Very slowly, Snake released Timber's scruff, then scratched behind his ears appraisingly when the puppy kept on licking. _[That was the easy part.] _At Tommy's groan, he carefully picked up Timber and gently deposited him in his brother's lap.

He was rewarded with a sharp glare. "What the hell is this supposed to accomplish?"

_[Hush. Keep calm. They'll be-] _Snake cut off to press a soothing hand to Timber's neck when the pup cried out. _[They'll be more uncomfortable if they sense you're irritated. Like just now.] _

Grumbling, Storm started stroking the pup's head. "There, there, little furball. Can you shut up now? I'm keeping calm, just like how your dumb Alpha wants me to be."

His head jerked forward when Snake slapped the back of his head. _[Have some respect. That one is most likely the only one you'll trust out of the four.] _

"Yay for trust." He scowled. "I haven't used wolves in the past, and something tells me I won't in the future. I don't need wolves; _you_ need wolves - look at how many times the original Timber saved your life. Hell, you even took him back to the Pit once without permission."

_[I had a good reason for that. As for the needing wolves issue - who knows? Maybe you'll discover that you enjoy training wolves as much as you enjoy teaching trainees.] _

"Fun." Tommy scratched under the pup's chin, then watched as his eyes closed and his jaws opened in a massive yawn. "... Heh. Look at all those teeth."

_[Teeth specifically designed to grab, tear, and kill once fully matured. Are those not the characteristics you look for in weapons?] _

"Only when I feel like getting messy." Cautiously, he lifted the pup in the air to eye-level, ignoring his squirming. "Almost all killing machines start out cute. And it's easier to train them when they're cute."

_[Agreed. That's why I'm going to need some of your trainees.] _

Eyebrows furrowed, the Phoenix Master turned to gawk at the man. "_Excuse _me? Are you suggesting that we use _my _trainees as wolf training props?"

_[Yes.] _

"... Which trainees, specifically?"

_[The promising ones.] _

There was a long, heavy silence during which neither master spoke or signed. Tommy stared at his brother in half-shock, half-concentration. Snake could see the gears turning in the Asian man's head.

After some time, Storm broke into a wide grin - the kind that apprentices dreaded and enemies feared. "... I _like_ this idea. Continue, please."

_[We could include it as part of 'fear training.'] _Snake was pleased Tommy caught on. _[To see who won't lose it in the face of wolf claws and teeth. It'll be good for weeding out the ones who will surely turn and run at the sight of danger.] _

Tommy made a sound that was very similar to a cackle. "Very nice. I like it. So, shall I see to procuring some protective equipment?"

_[Take your time. These little guys won't be fit for attack training for a month or so.] _Snake rubbed Timber's muzzle.

"Bummer. I'm looking forward to it." Storm chuckled. "Ninja _and _wolf training. You do have some good ideas, brother."

* * *

**A/N:** An internet cookie to those who can name the story in which Snake brings Timber to the Pit without permission. Hint: don't bother looking through my stories.


	8. Chapter 8

"Oh. God." Scarlett stared at the amount of food offered on the table - steamed rice, miso soup, curry, and a variety of fish, sushi, and vegetables. Her stomach grumbled agreeably. Tommy hid his amused smirk in his hand.

Junko smiled. "Hungry? I thought you might be."

"Jesus, Junko. Did you make all of this?" The redhead still looked awed. "My _god_, that's a lot of food."

The former geisha laughed and shook her head. "No, of course not. I had help."

"Still, this is pretty impressive." She grinned. "Lucky Tommy gets to eat your cooking every night."

"Only when I feel like cooking, which is only about once a week or so," she replied, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

"In that case, I'm glad you felt like it today. Everything looks delicious." Scarlett glanced at the door. "When is Snake coming? I'm starving."

Right on cue, the door slid open, and Snake shook off his shoes and put on a pair of provided slippers.

"... Really, brother? _Really?_" Tommy scowled as he watched the man carefully place three clean and fluffy pups in the room.

Snake didn't answer; Romulus had spotted the food and was trying his hardest to pull away from his Alpha. Remus, on the other hand, had noticed Scarlett and gave pitiful cries when Snake's hold on his scruff prevented him from running over and crawling into her lap. Even Timber looked at the food with interest, his loyalty and Alpha's gaze on him the only things keeping him rooted to the spot.

"What is he doing?" Junko asked, leaning back to look past her husband.

"Wolf puppy lesson number one: humans that Alpha accepts are higher-ranked and therefore get to eat first," Scarlett answered. A desperate high-pitched whine from Remus drew her attention. "Aw, I know, baby. Mama wants to hold you too, but you know the rules."

Snake slowly released Romulus, only to tighten his hold when the wolf lunged towards the table. The pup snarled his disapproval, but quieted the moment Snake started lifting him by the scruff.

"Is he going to bite him?" Junko's eyes were wide.

"Not at that angle." Tommy looked at Timber, who had been edging towards the table while Snake was preoccupied with his sibling. As soon as the pup noticed that he was being watched, he quickly averted his gaze and scooted back. Letting out a quiet whimper, he sank to the floor, begging for his superior to stop silently reprimanding him.

"... Awww." Junko smiled at the puff of fur. "So cute. So obedient. Tommy, stop scaring him."

The Phoenix Master made a noise that sounded like a cross between a sputter and a snort. "_I_ didn't do anything!"

"Look at him." The woman held out a hand to Timber. "He won't even look at you."

"Actually," Scarlett interrupted, "That's a sign of respect. It's one of the main differences between a dog and a wolf - one will look in your eyes, and the other will not, unless you are being challenged."

"Oh." Junko raised both eyebrows at this new piece of information. "So does that mean I shouldn't look at them?"

"No, you're higher-ranked than they are, so you may look at them. It's when they look back at you for longer than a glance you should be a little concerned." Grinning, Scarlett looked at Romulus, who was still struggling against Snake. "You hear that, cutie? No staring at Alpha."

Romulus ignored her and let out a frustrated huff when the ninja finally released him. Eyes still on the stubborn pup, Snake moved Timber and Remus closer to their brother and walked over to the table to start dinner.

Junko watched in silent admiration as the three pups fidgeted but didn't dare move forward. When Romulus finally slipped and loudly voiced his protest, he was silenced when Snake made a quick, hissing noise. "Amazing," she breathed. "You have a lot of control."

_[I need to,] _Snake signed before quietly tucking into his food.

Timber tilted his head to one side, then to the other, then back again. Alpha and Alpha's female always ate good-smelling meals, but this one in particular smelled... interesting. There were bits that had salt-water scent and others with hints of earth. It was strange. But whatever Alpha and Alpha's female ate, he should be able to eat too. It was simple logic.

He sniffed the air. Beta wolf wasn't in the area, which meant he won't be able to bring tasty meat. Oh, well. Looks like food would be coming from Alpha today.

After half an hour, Timber decided to make his move. Ears angled slightly back in submission, he slowly approached his Alpha, his eyes on the floor.

Snake-Eyes set down his chopsticks and watched the wolf puppy come over. Once he was close enough, Timber whined and pawed the ninja's arm in a plea for food. When the man failed to respond, the whines increased in volume.

Junko was a little confused. It was obvious the puppy wanted to be fed, but the food was _right there_, easily within jaws' reach. "Why isn't he just taking the food?" she finally asked.

Scarlett looked pleased. "I knew you would ask that. Romulus, Remus, and Timber are a little over a month old; that's when they start eating meat. Except it's regurgitated meat. From adult pack mates."

"... Ew."

"Yes, very 'ew,' but it's nature." Scarlett smiled as she watched Remus take tentative steps towards her. She patted her lap, and Remus happily bounced into her lap. His pink tongue flicked out, licking at her chin. "We don't feed them regurgitated food for obvious reasons - that's Dojo's job - but we do offer them scraps of meat small enough for them to eat and digest."

"Ah, I see." Junko looked at Remus fondly. "Hellooo..." she crooned, before offering a hand.

Remus's nose twitched as he sniffed. This was the female from earlier, the one with the white male's scent on her, but now she had Alpha's female's scent on her too. Tentatively, he nosed her hand.

"Awww..." Junko giggled as she carefully stroked Remus's head with two fingers. "What a sweetie."

"What a scaredy-cat," Tommy added, rolling his eyes. "That one peed himself when Snake introduced him to me."

"Tomisaburo!" His wife looked shocked. "Not at the table!"

"What? How come Scarlett can talk about regurgitation but I can't talk about the puppy wetting himself? Besides, we're done with dinner, so technically I can say whatever I want." He raised his hands in defense.

Meanwhile, Scarlett took a strip of raw fish and peeled it into small bits. "Here you go," she murmured as she offered Remus one bit at a time. The wolf pup's ears pricked up in interest and he licked the morsel of food out of her hand.

Timber, noticing that Alpha's female was giving food, didn't hesitate to go over and start whining to be fed. Romulus also joined, adding to the chorus. Scarlett stroked each of their muzzles as she offered a small piece of fish.

"Sorry, boys." She smiled sympathetically when they begged for more. "But I can't feed you too much of this. You're just going to have to wait for Dojo to come..." She blinked. "Hey, Snake, where's Dojo?"

_[Eating the serow I caught, probably,] _Snake signed before stacking the empty bowls and plates.

Her eyebrows rose. "You left him alone outside the compound? Isn't that a bit dangerous? He's not familiar with the animals in this region."

_[He'll learn.] _Snake started to pick up the dishes, but Storm moved in to stop him.

"I'll do it. You stay here and manage your wolves." He took the dishes from his brother's hands and left the room. Junko watched him go.

"So, Junko," Scarlett picked up the squirming Remus and started rocking him like a baby. "How have you been? Has Tommy been giving you a difficult time?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Junko eyed Remus in Scarlett's arms and swallowed hard. "And Tommy has been... sweet, as always. He's not giving me a hard time." She averted her gaze as she took out a small pouch and carefully poured its contents into her tea before quickly drinking it.

Scarlett stared at her. "What was that?"

"Hm? This?" She held up the pouch. "This is just some supplements Healer gave me. I haven't been feeling one-hundred percent lately."

Curious, Timber sniffed the pouch, then immediately sneezed, prompting laughter from the two women. "Silly puppy." Scarlett stroked the slightly stunned-looking wolf from head to tail. "That's not for you. That's for your Aunt Junko." She pressed a kiss to the top of his soft head before looking at Junko. "So what's up with this not feeling 'one-hundred percent?'"

And just like that, Scarlett felt her friend's mental walls go up. Her body language became defensive, and she chose to stare at Timber rather than her. "I'm a little sick," she answered a millisecond too quickly. "Healer gave me this to speed up my recovery. That's all."

The redhead's eyebrows went up. "Uh huh. And have you told Tommy about your supplements yet?"

"He knows I'm taking them," Junko answered hurriedly.

"Really." Scarlett looked skeptical. "Well, if you say so."

A quiet scratch at the door broke the uncomfortable atmosphere. All three puppies scampered to the door and began nosing and yipping at it. A gentle nudge with the foot, and Snake pushed the pups to one side before opening the door.

Dojo let out an audible sigh of tested patience as the puppies poured out of the building and began circling around him, licking his mouth in a plea for food. He had just finished stuffing himself with the recent kill, and wanted nothing more than to lay down and sleep. But, alas, as a pack member, his responsibilities included caring for the pack's young.

Junko watched in a mixture of disgust and interest as the pups practically stuck their heads in their sire's mouth, eagerly eating up the regurgitated meat. "How often do they eat?"

_[I provide food every few days or so. Dojo is responsible for feeding the pups, so I mostly feed him. Of course, once the pups grow older, I will need to change my feeding schedule.] _Snake leaned against a pillar as Dojo made small heaving sounds to bring up more food.

After a while, the older wolf decided that the pups had had enough to eat and wandered off, ignoring the puppies' yips and begs. "Hey!" Scarlett snapped her fingers, drawing the pups' attention. "Come!"

The wolf pups happily bumbled over. Food?

Scarlett pointed to the ground wordlessly; three behinds hit the ground obediently. A fingers-spread downwards motion got them to lay down, and a quick upwards flick of the hand got them to jump. "Good boys," she cooed, as she squatted to feed them meat morsels.

"Voiceless commands." Junko nodded in approval. "That makes sense."

As the puppies vigorously licked her hand to make sure they didn't miss a speck of meat, Scarlett beckoned to Junko. "Come." When the young woman complied, she carefully deposited a few bits of meat in her hand. "Your turn. Give them hand commands and reward them if they obey."

Junko yelped and giggled quietly when all three wolves simultaneously starts jumping up and down, trying to reach her hand. "And what if they don't listen?"

"Then poke 'em on the neck. Or pinch their muzzle. They hate it when you do that." Scarlett sat down on the ground and beamed when the pups eagerly obeyed Junko's orders.

From across the small courtyard, Storm Shadow crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one foot, watching the cheerful scene. Scarlett and Junko hadn't spotted him yet, but he knew Snake was aware of his presence. He watched as his wife made a circle motion with her hand and heard her laugh when the puppies stared at her in befuddlement. When she repeated the gesture, one of the pups - Remus, probably - rolled onto his back. A gentle nudge from Junko, and he was back on his feet and showered with praises and given a piece of meat.

Snake-Eyes turned his head slightly to look at his sword brother. Tommy looked troubled; his eyes were dark, and he was frowning slightly. He followed his gaze to Junko, then back to the him, and signed, _[Something wrong?] _

Storm blinked rapidly and looked at him, as if just snapped out of a trance, before shaking his head. _[Everything's fine,] _he signed, before turning around and disappearing down a hallway.

Thoughtfully, Snake stared at where his brother disappeared before whistling twice. Timber paused in his jumping and turned around to trot towards his Alpha, ears perked in curiosity. A finger-snap let the wolf know that a command was about to be given, and Snake pointed in the direction Storm went.

Without any hesitation, the wolf puppy ran after his given target.


End file.
